’Tis the season for Christmas bargains

Shop now to snap up the BEST deals (and avoid last-minute panic)

2023-11-26 - BILL TYSON

The only thing worse than Christmas shopping… is last-minute shopping, when things not only get stressy but more and more pricey. Dynamic pricing is one of those sneaky online tools where prices go up in response to demand (see Consumer Eye, below), so it pays get your shopping early – and grab a few bargains if you can.

Black Friday may be over but there are plenty of deals on offer as Cyber Monday (the day for online deals) arrives tomorrow.

‘We expect a large number of Irish consumers to take part in those sales,’ says Colette Devey, EY Ireland partner and consumer products and retail lead.

‘Our latest EY Future Consumer Index revealed that six in 10 (61%) respondents globally were planning to take part in Black Friday or similar sales campaigns.

‘The report also shows a continued increase in the numbers of consumers shopping mostly or only online this festive season (up 16%), and a decrease in those who shop in person (down 14%).’

And saving energy, money and the planet chimes with consumer intentions right now.

‘Overall, the latest EY Future Consumer Index reveals a more purposeful consumer, keenly aware of both ongoing cost-of-living issues and the impact of climate change,’ Ms Devey adds.

‘Consumers are carefully considering what and where they buy, prioritising value for money, sustainability and asking themselves if a purchase is really necessary.’

You can save even more money by snagging the right product. For example buying an energy-saving air fryer – especially if they’re selling at a bargain price – means you could save on the double.

Here are a few ideas for snapping up a Christmas deal before it’s too late:

DISCOUNT STORE DEALS

The middle aisles of discount stores can be a great source of cheap and handy-to-buy Christmas gifts. The young scientist in your family will no doubt love the sizeable microscope and telescope kits that are coming to Aldi soon (date to be announced) for just €16 each.

A light-up globe is another classic children’s gift for the same price, while electric blankets are a great pressie too for adults (€29.99 for a double) to help keep your loved ones cosy during the winter.

Lidl has also just released a load of Christmas toys to coincide with the toy-buying frenzy usually triggered by Friday’s Late Late Toy Show.

Pick of the bunch for a bargain gift seems to the Playtive City garage for €14.99 (right). And tomorrow, Lidl launches a selection of powertools for the DIY enthusiasts in your life.

MAKE YOUR FIR GO FURTHER

You can’t beat a real Christmas tree – but make sure to get the right one at the right price.

We’ve all seen Christmas movies where Dad leaves it too late and brings home a scaldy bush that looks like it has the tree equivalent of mange.

Aldi already has Nordmann fir trees in stock for €24.99, which is the same price as last year.

This type of evergreen is recommended by Which? magazine as the best if you like a nice, conically shaped tree and minimal shedding.

Fraser and Noble firs are also recommended for not shedding too much. Lidl’s range is also in store at €24.99… but neither chain’s batch is likely to last long.

If you buy your tree early, it does need a little looking after or it’ll dry out and start to shed before the big day.

Cut a centimetre from the end of the trunk and put the tree into water straight away to keep it hydrated, growers advise.

DON’T GET BURNED – GET A FRYER

Air fryers make great gifts – and they also save energy, and therefore money, if you get one for yourself.

They act like a super-quick mini-oven but cost far less to run than your classic cooker. Which? recommends the

Instant Vortex 4-in-1 for its ‘many functions and cooking modes’ though it adds the ryder that it’s a bit bulky. It can be bought on Amazon from €75.

Its next cheapest Best Buy is a Ninja AF100UK Fryer, on sale in Currys for €99. This is great for chips and chicken. At 3.8L in drawer capacity, it’s not the biggest fryer – but that could be an advantage if your worktop space is tight.

The cheapest large air fryer from Which?’s Best Buy list that we could find on sale here is the Ninja Speedi 6L 10in-1, which was selling for €169.99 on Friday in Currys.

That store also has an online offer of 10% off the price of an appliance when you buy two and use the code Multi10SDAIE (check this on the website first).

NOT SURE WHICH GIFT TO CHOOSE? CHOOSE WHICH?

Which? is a brilliant cross between a magazine, web publisher and consumer champion.

It is a UK outfit but manufacturers of the products it reviews don’t distinguish between the two islands and the same stuff is usually sold here as in Britain.

Which? has a half-price deal for an annual subscription of £39.50 for the year.

This makes more sense than the monthly £8.99 deal, which is twice the cost.

TV/BROADBAND OFFERS

Black Friday saw a plethora of deals for TV and broadband, including Sky’s cheapest ever offer, which in previous years has been extended at the last minute.

Comparison site Switcher.ie has also highlighted some offers that are still going:

Eir, already a cheap broadband provider (though not notable for speedy customer service), is offering €100 off selected broadband plans (ends tomorrow).

Nab a Vodafone broadband plan via Switcher.ie and get a free Google nest hub while stocks last.

See Switcher.ie for terms and conditions.